Strategy as governance: the governance of AI in Africa

New and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) have captivated the attention of African policymakers in recent years. This has been reflected mainly through the adoption of a series of national and continental policy instruments. A common thread in recent policy efforts has been the considerable emphasis given to the opportunities that AI offers in ameliorating Africa’s complex and longstanding socio-economic challenges. With the adoption of AI strategies at the continental and national levels, African policymakers are increasingly turning attention to the imperatives of governing AI risks. Except for a few African states, AI strategies are yet to be translated into legislation or other concrete governance measures. Against the backdrop of this development, this editorial offers a conceptual background to the special section published in the present issue of Science and Public Policy on the governance of AI in Africa. It examines the origins, nature, and scope of AI governance initiatives in Africa. The editorial argues that unless AI strategies are followed up with robust governance arrangements, African policymakers would be settling for less compared with their counterparts in other regions.